PM stresses framing strategy to attain water, sanitation SDG
UNB
Vowing to ensure cent percent safe water for the countrys people, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday emphasised framing such a strategy paper through which Bangladesh could become a role model for the rest of the world for attaining SDG-6 of safe water and sanitation, reports UNB.
I believe in both the sectors, Bangladesh would become an example across the globe, she said in a statement at the inaugural session of the National Workshop for preparing the country paper on Sustainable Development Goal 6 at the Prime Ministers Office. Agriculture Minister Matia Chowdhury read out the statement of the Prime Minister as she could not attend the programme due to sickness.
Out of the 17 (SDGs), the Prime Minister said, the number six goal is ensuring safe water and sanitation. Well have to achieve a success in this regard like the MDGs (Millennium Development Goals).
Mentioning that her government has already attained an epoch-making success in ensuring safe water for people, Hasina said currently around 98 percent of the countrys people are getting safe water. We want to supply safe water for hundred percent people and well be able to ensure that much ahead of the UN stipulated timeframe.
She said some 61 percent of the people of Bangladesh have come under the sanitation system while the rate of open defecation has now come down to 0.88 percent which was 42 percent in 2003. Time-based action plans have been taken setting new targets in this regard and cent percent success would come in these two fields by 2021.
The Prime Minister said now some 240 crore people across the globe are deprived of sanitation facilities while some 66.30 crore of safe water. Besides, on average some 10 lakh people mostly children die every year due to lack of safe water while some 1,000 children for lack of purified water. Well also have to think about the global situation.
Highlighting some steps of her government towards materialising SDG 6, she said the government spent nearly Tk 14,900 crore over the last seven years for safe water and sanitation while various projects worth Tk 32,000 crore are going on.
Water Resources Senior Secretary Zafar Ahmed Khan delivered the address of welcome jointly organised by the Ministry of Water Resources and Center for Environmental and Geographic Information
Services (CEGIS), Water Resources Minister Anisul Islam Mahmud, State Minister for Water Resources Md Nazrul Islam spoke on the occasion as special guests while PMs Principal Secretary Md Abul Kalam Azad and PMO Secretary Suraiya Begum spoke at the inaugural session.
Anisul Islam said an overall strategy country paper for SDG 6 would be finalised on behalf of Bangladesh after finalising six targets under the SDG-6. He said the government needs to concentrate more on addressing the problem of safe water, especially in the southern and coastal regions, and northern districts alongside making sustainable the use of surface water. Five government organisations (DPHE, DoE, WARPO, BWDB and DBHWD) in association with relevant departments and prganisations with the help of experts and stakeholders have prepared six concept papers along with the action plan on six targets of SDG-6. In this workshop, a draft action plan was presented during the technical sessions. Besides, some identified light house initiatives were also presented during the technical sessions. A regional workshop will be held to facilitate in preparing a common action plan for advocating in the HLP meetings.
